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Abstract We construct the ( $$\beta $$ β -deformed) higher order total derivative operators and analyze their remarkable properties. In terms of these operators, we derive the higher order constraints for the ( $$\beta $$ β -deformed) Hermitian matrix models. We prove that these ( $$\beta $$ β -deformed) higher order constraints are reducible to the Virasoro constraints. Meanwhile, the Itoyama–Matsuo conjecture for the constraints of the Hermitian matrix model is proved. We also find that through rescaling variable transformations, two sets of the constraint operators become the W-operators of W-representations for the ( $$\beta $$ β -deformed) partition function hierarchies in the literature.

Abstract Objective The Ureteral Access Sheath (UAS) has notable benefits but may fail to traverse the ureter in some cases. Our objective was to develop and validate a dynamic online nomogram for patients with ureteral stones who experienced UAS placement failure during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Methods This study is a retrospective cohort analysis using medical records from the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. We reviewed the records of patients with ureteral stones who underwent RIRS in 2022 to identify risk factors associated with UAS placement failure. Lasso combined logistic regression was utilized to identify independent risk factors associated with unsuccessful UAS placement in individuals with ureteral stones. Subsequently, a nomogram model was developed to predict the likelihood of failed UAS placement in this patient cohort. The model’s performance was assessed through Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) analysis, calibration curve assessment, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA). Results Significant independent risk factors for unsuccessful UAS placement in patients with ureteral stones included age (OR = 0.95, P

Abstract Background To investigate whether radiomics models derived from pretreatment CT could help to predict response to immunotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods Retrospectively, a total of 40 patients with measurable OSCC were included. The patients were divided into responder group and non-responder group according to the comparison of pre-treatment and post-treatment CT findings. Radiomics features were extracted from pre-treatment CT images, and optimal features were selected by univariate analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. Neural network, support vector machine, random forest and logistic regression models were used to predict response to immunotherapy in OSCC, and leave-one-out cross validation was employed to assess the performance of the classifiers. The area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to quantify the predictive efficacy. Results A total of 7 features were selected to build models upon machine learning methods. By comparing different machine learning based models, the neural network model achieved the best predictive ability, with an AUC of 0.864, an accuracy of 82.5%, a sensitivity of 82.5%, and a specificity of 82.5%. Conclusions The pretreatment CT-based radiomics model showed good performance in predicting response to immunotherapy in OSCC. Pretreatment CT-based radiomics model might provide an alternative approach for the selection of patients who benefit from immunotherapy.

Abstract. Background:. Hypothermia therapy has been suggested to attenuate myocardial necrosis; however, the clinical implementation as a valid therapeutic strategy has failed, and new approaches are needed to translate into clinical applications. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel selective intracoronary hypothermia (SICH) device in mitigating myocardial reperfusion injury. Methods:. This study comprised two phases. The first phase of the SICH was performed in a normal porcine model for 30 minutes (n = 5) to evaluate its feasibility. The second phase was conducted in a porcine myocardial infarction (MI) model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion which was performed by balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 60 minutes and maintained for 42 days. Pigs in the hypothermia group (n = 8) received hypothermia intervention onset reperfusion for 30 minutes and controls (n = 8) received no intervention. All animals were followed for 42 days. Cardiac magnetic resonance analysis (five and 42 days post-MI) and a series of biomarkers/histological studies were performed. Results:. The average time to lower temperatures to a steady state was 4.8 ± 0.8 s. SICH had no impact on blood pressure or heart rate and was safely performed without complications by using a 3.9 F catheter. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein (CRP), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were lower at 60 min post perfusion in pigs that underwent SICH as compared with the control group. On day 5 post MI/R, edema, intramyocardial hemorrhage, and microvascular obstruction were reduced in the hypothermia group. On day 42 post MI/R, the infarct size, IL-6, CRP, BNP, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were reduced, and the ejection fraction was improved in pigs that underwent SICH. Conclusions:. The SICH device safely and effectively reduced the infarct size and improved heart function in a pig model of MI/R. These beneficial effects indicate the clinical potential of SICH for treatment of myocardial reperfusion injury.

To address the issues of image feature insensitivity, high requirement of expert experience, and low recognition accuracy of traditional machine vision methods in train wheelset bearing damage detection, this paper proposes an identification method based on the framework of convolutional and transformer fusion networks for identifying damage to train wheelset bearings. First, due to the complexity of train-bearing images, their category imbalance is more severe; an image preprocessing method called image enhancement category reorganization is used to improve the quality of the acquired image dataset and eliminate the effects of the imbalance dataset. Second, a convolutional neural network (CNN) has high model construction and training efficiency due to adopting a local sensing field and weight-sharing strategy, which can only sense local neighborhoods but has limited ability to capture global feature information. Transformer is a network model based on a self-attention mechanism. With strong parallel computing ability, it can learn the remote dependencies between image pixels in the global scope and has a more powerful global information extraction ability. However, the ability to mine the local features of the image is not sufficient. Therefore, this paper presents a VGG and transformer parallel fusion network that integrates the global contour features and local details of the image based on the fusion of convolution and self-attention. Furthermore, a multiscale dilation spatial pyramid convolution (MDSPC) module is constructed to fully mine the multiscale semantic features in the feature map using multiscale dilation convolution progressive fusion. The proposed method effectively solves the problem of feature information loss due to the mesh effect caused by the expansion convolution. Additionally, embedding coordinate attention (CA) after the MDSPC module can obtain remote dependencies and more precise positional relationships of feature images from two spatial directions, which can more accurately focus on specific regions in the feature map. Finally, experimental analyses were conducted using the NEU-DET image defect and self-constructed train wheelset bearing image datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model has an accuracy of 99.44% and 98% for recognizing six types of defects and four types of images of wheelset bearings in NEU-DET data, respectively. The feature extraction capability of the proposed model was verified using model visualization methods. Compared with existing CNN models, ViT model with self-attention mechanism, and CNN-transformer fusion model, the proposed method shows significantly better evaluation metrics and accurately identifies different types of image samples without significantly increasing the model complexity.

Abstract Backgrounds This investigation seeks to explore the correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and to to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Methods This study utilized data from the Jinchang cohort platform, including 19,399 participants without pre-existing major CVDs. Based on the general population and gender stratification, Cox models were used to analyze the risk of NAFLD for CVDs. The combined effect of NAFLD and different obesity indicators on CVDs was analyzed by additive and multiplicative interaction models and subgroups. Results There were 3129 NAFLD patients out of 19399 subjects, and 723 (23.11%) of them had the CVD. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the Cox model revealed a 1.17-fold increase in the risk of CVDs among patients with NAFLD compared to those without NAFLD. Moreover, there was no notable disparity in CVDs risk among most NAFLD patients at the same level of obesity. The results indicated no additive interaction between NAFLD and obesity concerning CVDs risk, but rather a positive multiplicative interaction. Using the normal population as a reference, it was found that people with both obesity and NAFLD significantly increased the risk of developing CVDs, with HRs and 95% CIs of 1.790 (1.508, 2.126), 1.356 (1.213, 1.517), and 1.807 (1.503, 2.174), respectively, for BMI, WC, and the combination of BMI and WC. Conclusions NAFLD and obesity are independent risk factors for CVDs. The synergy of obesity and NAFLD implies that NAFLD patients should control weight gain. Larger BMI and WC values may increase the CVDs risk for NAFLD patients, especially women.

Abstract The subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) is essential for safeguarding female fertility in mammals. Assembled in oocytes, the SCMC maintains the cleavage of early embryos, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that 14-3-3, a multifunctional protein, is a component of the SCMC. By resolving the structure of the 14-3-3-containing SCMC, we discover that phosphorylation of TLE6 contributes to the recruitment of 14-3-3. Mechanistically, during maternal-to-embryo transition, the SCMC stabilizes 14-3-3 protein and contributes to the proper control of CDC25B, thus ensuring the activation of the maturation-promoting factor and mitotic entry in mouse zygotes. Notably, the SCMC establishes a conserved molecular link with 14-3-3 and CDC25B in human oocytes/embryos. This study discloses the molecular mechanism through which the SCMC regulates the cell cycle in early embryos and elucidates the function of the SCMC in mammalian early embryogenesis.

Abstract Wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are employed as top cells of tandem cells to break through the theoretical limits of single-junction photovoltaic devices. However, WBG PSCs exhibit severe open-circuit voltage (V oc) loss with increasing bromine content. Herein, inhomogeneous halogen-phase distribution is pointed out to be the reason, which hinders efficient extraction of carriers. We thus propose to form homogeneous halogen-phase distribution to address the issue. With the help of density functional theory, we construct a double-layer structure (D-2P) based on 2-(9H-Carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid molecules to provide nucleation sites for perovskite crystallization. Homogeneous perovskite phase is achieved through bottom-up templated crystallization of halogen component. The efficient carrier extraction reduces the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, resulting in a high V oc of 1.32 V. As a result, D-2P-treated device (1.75 eV) achieves a record power conversion efficiency of 20.80% (certified 20.70%), which is the highest value reported for WBG (more than 1.74 eV) PSCs.

Abstract Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent autoimmune disorder that leads to chronic joint inflammation, deformity, disability, and systemic complications. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and synovial pathology of RA patients with synoviocyte detachment, and explore the factors associated with this phenomenon. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study included RA patients who underwent synovial biopsy at our center from April to September 2023. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and synovial histological data were retrospectively collected from medical records at the time of joint synovial biopsy in patients. Microscopic examination of hematoxylin and eosin (HE)-stained synovial tissue sections categorized the samples into synoviocyte detachment and no-synoviocyte detachment groups. Clinical characteristics and synovial pathological changes were compared between the two groups, and the factors associated with synoviocyte detachment were explored through logistic regression analysis. Results Fifty-five RA patients were enrolled; 45 were females, and the mean age was 53.4 ± 11.8 years. Nine RA patients exhibited synoviocyte detachment. A total of 46 RA patients in the no-synoviocyte detachment group (15 with a normal lining layer and 31 with synovial cell proliferation) were included. Compared with the no-synoviocyte detachment group, the synoviocyte detachment group presented higher RF, ESR, CRP and DAS28-CRP levels (P

Abstract Background Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an anti‐aquaporin 4 (anti‐AQP4) autoantibodies‐mediated idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. While intravenous pulse methylprednisolone (IVMP) is the recommended initial treatment option for acute onset NMOSD, its therapeutic mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesized that IVMP would reduce the expression of pro‐inflammatory factors and increase the resolution of inflammation in patients with NMOSD. Methods Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to screen meaningful inflammatory and resolution factors for inclusion. Three MR methods with inverse variance weighting (IVW) were primarily used to identify positive results. Interleukin (IL)‐10, IL‐1β, IL‐6, C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), and tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) were screened from 41 inflammatory factors, and resolvin D1 (RvD1), maresin 1 (MaR1), and lipoxin A4 (LXA4) were screened from 6 resolution markers for inclusion. Subsequently, 12 patients with NMOSD were enrolled and treated with IVMP. Serum levels of the aforementioned inflammatory and resolution markers were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay before and after IVMP treatment. Results High levels of TRAIL, CXCL12, and IL‐1β were associated with an increased risk of NMOSD (TRAIL: odds ratio [OR], 1.582; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.003–2.495; CXCL12: OR, 3.610; 95% CI, 1.011–12.889; IL‐1β: OR, 4.500; 95% CI, 1.129–17.927). High levels of RvD1, MaR1, and LXA4 were associated with a reduced risk of NMOSD (RvD1: OR, 0.725; 95% CI, 0.538–0.976; MaR1: OR, 0.985; 95% CI, 0.970–0.999; LXA4: OR, 0.849; 95% CI, 0.727–0.993). Among patients with NMOSD, serum levels of IL‐6, CXCL12, and TRAIL significantly decreased following IVMP treatment, compared with pretreatment levels, while levels of IL‐1β, LXA4, and MaR1 significantly increased after IVMP treatment (p

Abstract Image captioning aims to automatically generate a natural language description of a given image, and most state‐of‐the‐art models have adopted an encoder–decoder transformer framework. Such transformer structures, however, show two main limitations in the task of image captioning. Firstly, the traditional transformer obtains high‐level fusion features to decode while ignoring other‐level features, resulting in losses of image content. Secondly, the transformer is weak in modelling the natural order characteristics of language. To address theseissues, the authors propose a HIerarchical and Sequential Transformer (HIST) structure, which forces each layer of the encoder and decoder to focus on features of different granularities, and strengthen the sequentially semantic information. Specifically, to capture the details of different levels of features in the image, the authors combine the visual features of multiple regions and divide them into multiple levels differently. In addition, to enhance the sequential information, the sequential enhancement module in each decoder layer block extracts different levels of features for sequentially semantic extraction and expression. Extensive experiments on the public datasets MS‐COCO and Flickr30k have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed method, and show that the authors’ method outperforms most of previous state of the arts.

This is an article in the field of mining engineering. Magnesite in China is rich and good in quality. Its mineral quantity and grade rank the first in the world. It is widely used as the raw material for the production of magnesium oxide in industry. The change of microstructure of magnesite during calcination is the key to performance the properties of magnesia products. Taking this as the starting point, the technical progress of preparing high-performance magnesia products from magnesite is summarized firstly. Then, according to the restrictive factors of industry development, this article analyzes the future development trend of this field briefly.

Abstract Objective To verify whether the bleeding risk assessment guidelines from the 9th American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) are prognostic for respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) patients and to explore risk factors for hemorrhages, we conducted a secondary data analysis based on our previously published cohort study of venous thromboembolism. Patients and methods We performed a secondary data analysis on the single-center prospective cohort from our previous study. Patients admitted to the RICU at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from August 1, 2014 to December 31, 2020 were included and followed up until discharge. Results The study enrolled 931 patients, of which 715 (76.8%) were at high risk of bleeding, while the remaining were at low risk. Of the total, 9.2% (86/931) suffered major bleeding, and no significant difference was found between the two risk groups (p = 0.601). High-risk patients had poor outcomes, including higher mortality and longer stays. Independent risk factors for major bleeding were APACHE II score ≥ 15; invasive pulmonary aspergillosis; therapeutic dose of anticoagulants; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; and continuous renal replacement therapy. Blood transfusion not related to bleeding appeared to be an independent protective factor for major bleeding (OR 0.099, 95% CI 0.045–0.218, p

Abstract Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a clinically heterogeneous and complex autoimmune disease, making the prediction of therapeutic responses a significant challenge. This study aims to assess the role of clinical and synovial biomarkers in predicting poor response to adalimumab treatment in RA patients. Methods This single-center prospective study included 56 RA patients who had an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX). At baseline, comprehensive assessments including complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests, blood glucose levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA), as well as counts of swollen and tender joints, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and DAS28-CRP scores were conducted. Synovial biopsies were performed, followed by an efficacy evaluation at 12 weeks of adalimumab treatment. Patients not meeting the ACR20 criteria were classified into the non-responder group, with the remainder categorized as the responder group. Results Out of the participants, 24 (42.9%) failed to achieve ACR20 with adalimumab treatment. Non-responders exhibited higher infiltration of plasma cells in the synovium. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the presence of plasma cells as an independent risk factor for inadequate response to adalimumab. Conclusion Inadequate responses to adalimumab in RA patients were associated with increased plasma cell infiltrations in the synovium. These findings suggest a promising target for tailored therapies in rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract With significant advances in classifying and cataloguing topological matter, the focus of topological physics has shifted towards quantum control, particularly the creation and manipulation of topological phases of matter. Floquet engineering, the concept of tailoring a system by periodic fields, offers a powerful tool to manipulate electronic properties of condensed systems, and even to create exotic non-equilibrium topological states that are impossibly present in equilibrium scenarios. In this perspective, we give a brief review of recent progress in theoretical investigations of Floquet engineering topological states from effective models towards realistic materials. We show that light irradiation can realize various desired topological states through the introduction of symmetry breaking, such as first- and higher-order Weyl fermions, quadrupole topological insulator with periodic driving and disorder, quantum anomalous Hall effects with a tunable Chern number, as well as beyond. Moreover, based on first-principles calculations and Floquet theorem, we show several realistic material candidates proposed as potential hosts for promising Floquet topological states, facilitating their verification in experiments. We believe that our perspective on Floquet engineering of topological states will advance further studies of rich exotic light-induced phenomena in condensed matter physics.

In order to achieve its nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) accurate typing, this paper establishes a molecular diagnostic technique based on fluorescent quantitative PCR for accurate genotyping of the nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the rs755555 locus of the SLC39A13 gene. Firstly, Taqman fluorescent ARMS-PCR detection primers and probes were designed for the rs755555 locus and the internal reference gene peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA). Secondly, positive control plasmids were constructed. Finally, based on genotyping accuracy, the primer and probe combinations were optimized, and the PCR reaction system and conditions for the detection reagents were optimized. The optimal primer and probe combination for the wild-type was: WF1, R1, FP1, PIRF5, PIRR5, PIRP5; the optimal combination for the mutant type was: FMF3, R1, FP1, PIRF5, PIRR5, PIRP5. The optimal reaction system for detecting samples was: 0.1 μL each of upstream and downstream primers and probes for the SLC39A13 gene, 0.1 μL each of upstream and downstream primers and probes for the internal standard, 10 μL PerfectStart Ⅱ Probe qPCR SuperMix UDG, 5.4 μL purified water, and 4 μL sample genome. The feasibility of this detection system was confirmed through reproducibility experiments and the detection of 70 samples. This provides a technical foundation for the development of a detection kit for the polymorphism at the rs755555 locus of the SLC39A13 gene.

This paper investigated the problem of multiview subspace clustering, focusing on feature learning with submanifold structure and exploring the invariant representations of multiple views. A novel approach was proposed in this study, termed deep Grassmannian multiview subspace clustering with contrastive learning (DGMVCL). The proposed algorithm initially utilized a feature extraction module (FEM) to map the original input samples into a feature subspace. Subsequently, the manifold modeling module (MMM) was employed to map the aforementioned subspace features onto a Grassmannian manifold. Afterward, the designed Grassmannian manifold network was utilized for deep subspace learning. Finally, discriminative cluster assignments were achieved utilizing a contrastive learning mechanism. Extensive experiments conducted on five benchmarking datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The source code is available at https://github.com/Zoo-LLi/DGMVCL.

Abstract Instance segmentation is still challengeable to correctly distinguish different instances on overlapping, dense and large number of target objects. To address this, the authors simplify the instance segmentation problem to an instance classification problem and propose a novel end‐to‐end trained instance segmentation algorithm CotuNet. Firstly, the algorithm combines convolutional neural networks (CNN), Outlooker and Transformer to design a new hybrid Encoder (COT) to further feature extraction. It consists of extracting low‐level features of the image using CNN, which is passed through the Outlooker to extract more refined local data representations. Then global contextual information is generated by aggregating the data representations in local space using Transformer. Finally, the combination of cascaded upsampling and skip connection modules is used as Decoders (C‐UP) to enable the blend of multiple different scales of high‐resolution information to generate accurate masks. By validating on the CVPPP 2017 dataset and comparing with previous state‐of‐the‐art methods, CotuNet shows superior competitiveness and segmentation performance.

Polymers have become widely used substrate materials for shielding neutron rays because of their high hydrogen content and easy processing procedures. Rare-earth materials are also being gradually adopted as neutron absorbers because of their considerable thermal neutron absorption cross-sections. This paper utilizes the FLUKA Monte Carlo simulation program to compare the shielding effects of various polymers and rare-earth oxides on neutron rays across different energy ranges. The study investigates the superior shielding materials for neutron radiation in each energy range. Subsequently, a series of materials are simulated by combining the preferred shielding materials for neutron rays in each energy range, exploring the influence of material composition and composite structure on the effectiveness of neutron ray shielding. It is revealed that the preferred material for shielding neutron rays changes for different energy ranges. For low-energy neutron rays, rare-earth oxides such as Sm2O3 and Gd2O3 demonstrate the most effective shielding, whereas for high-energy neutron rays, polyethylene (PE) provides the best shielding performance. Materials with different compositions show varying preferred structures when dealing with a 252Cf neutron source. However, in mitigating the secondary gamma rays generated during the neutron shielding process, stacked-type materials exhibit the most effective shielding performance.

Introduction:: Accurate identification of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in primary care and rural areas can be a challenging task. However, recent advancements in computer vision offer the potential for automated systems to detect PAH from echocardiography. Objectives:: Our aim was to develop a precise and efficient diagnostic model for PAH tailored to the unique requirements of intelligent diagnosis, especially in challenging locales like high-altitude regions. Methods:: We proposed the Chamber Attention Network (CAN) for PAH identification from echocardiographic images, trained on a dataset comprising 13,912 individual subjects. A convolutional neural network (CNN) for view classification was used to select the clinically relevant apical four chamber (A4C) and parasternal long axis (PLAX) views for PAH diagnosis. To assess the importance of different heart chambers in PAH diagnosis, we developed a novel Chamber Attention Module. Results:: The experimental results demonstrated that: 1) The substantial correspondence between our obtained chamber attention vector and clinical expertise suggested that our model was highly interpretable, potentially uncovering diagnostic insights overlooked by the clinical community. 2) The proposed CAN model exhibited superior image-level accuracy and faster convergence on the internal validation dataset compared to the other four models. Furthermore, our CAN model outperformed the others on the external test dataset, with image-level accuracies of 82.53% and 83.32% for A4C and PLAX, respectively. 3) Implementation of the voting strategy notably enhanced the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of individual-level classification results, enhancing the reliability of our classification outcomes. Conclusions:: These findings indicate that CAN is a feasible technique for AI-assisted PAH diagnosis, providing new insights into cardiac structural changes observed in echocardiography.

Abstract Background Previous studies have established a correlation between the pathogenesis of oxidative stress and sarcopenia. The Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) is an integrated measure that reflects the overall balance of antioxidants and pro-oxidants in dietary components and lifestyle. However, there are limited reports on the association between OBS and lean mass and the impact of protein intake on the association between OBS and lean mass. Methods Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018, multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations between OBS and outcomes. The findings were then illustrated through fitted smoothing curves and threshold effect analyses. Results This study included 2,441 participants, demonstrating that higher OBS is significantly associated with an increased ratio of appendicular lean mass to body mass index. Key inflection points at OBS 31 mark pronounced changes in these associations, with age and protein intake notably affecting the association. The effect of OBS on lean mass varies among populations with high and low protein intake. Conclusions Our findings suggest that OBS is significantly and positively associated with lean mass. A high protein intake of more than 84.5 g/day may enhance the role of OBS in influencing muscle health to improve muscle outcomes.

Abstract Elucidating cellular architecture and cell-type evolution across species is central to understanding immune system function and susceptibility to disease. Adaptive immunity is a shared trait of the common ancestor of cartilaginous and bony fishes. However, evolutionary features of lymphocytes in these two jawed vertebrates remain unclear. Here, we present a single-cell RNA sequencing atlas of immune cells from cartilaginous (white-spotted bamboo shark) and bony (zebrafish and Chinese tongue sole) fishes. Cross-species comparisons show that the same cell types across different species exhibit similar transcriptional profiles. In the bamboo shark, we identify a phagocytic B cell population expressing several pattern recognition receptors, as well as a T cell sub-cluster co-expressing both T and B cell markers. In contrast to a division by function in the bony fishes, we show close linkage and poor functional specialization among lymphocytes in the cartilaginous fish. Our cross-species single-cell comparison presents a resource for uncovering the origin and evolution of the gnathostome immune system.

Abstract Near-infrared (NIR) phosphors based on Cr3+ doped garnets present great potential in the next generation of NIR light sources. Nevertheless, the huge searching space for the garnet composition makes the rapid discovery of NIR phosphors with high performance remain a great challenge for the scientific community. Herein, a generalizable machine learning (ML) strategy is designed to accelerate the exploration of innovative NIR phosphors via establishing the relationship between key parameters and emission peak wavelength (EPW). We propose a semi-supervised co-training model based on kernel ridge regression (KRR) and support vector regression (SVR), which successfully establishes an expanded dataset with unlabeled dataset (previously unidentified garnets), addressing the overfitting issue resulted from a small dataset and greatly improving the model generalization capability. The model is then interpreted to extract valuable insights into the contribution originated from different features. And a new type NIR luminescent material of Lu3Y2Ga3O12: Cr3+ (EPW~750 nm) is efficiently screened, which demonstrates a high internal (external) quantum efficiency of 97.1% (38.8%) and good thermal stability, particularly exhibiting promising application in the NIR phosphor-converted LEDs (pc-LED). These results suggest the strategy proposed in this work could provide new viewpoint and direction for developing NIR luminescence materials.

Recently, researchers in the road field are focusing on the development of green asphalt materials with lower emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The characterization methodology of asphalt VOCs and the influencing factors on VOCs release have always been the basic issue of asphalt VOCs emission reduction research. Researchers have proposed a variety of asphalt VOCs characterization methodologies, which also have mutually irreplaceable characteristics. Asphalt VOCs volatilization is affected by many factors. In this study, asphalt VOCs characterization methodologies were summarized, including their advantages, disadvantages, characteristics and applicable requirements. Subsequently, the influencing factors of VOCs release, such as asphalt types and environment conditions, are summarized to provide theoretical support for the emission reduction research. The classification and mechanism of newly-development asphalt VOCs emission reduction materials are reviewed. The reduction efficiencies are also compared to select better materials and put forward the improvement objective of new materials and new processes. In addition, the prospects about development of VOCs release mechanism of asphalt materials during the full life cycle and feasibility research of high-efficiency composite emission reduction materials in the future were put forward.

Objective: Laparoscopic surgery has become a routine general surgery with many advantages, such as alleviating abdominal pain. However, postoperative pain caused by abdominal drainage tubes has attracted little attention from medical staff. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of a new abdominal drainage tube fixation method for 3-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) on patients’ postoperative quality of life. Methods: Patients who underwent 3-port LC with abdominal drainage tubes in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Linyi People’s Hospital from March 1, 2023 to October 31, 2023 due to gallstones with chronic cholecystitis were selected for this study. The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, the new abdominal drainage tube fixation method was used, while in the control group, the traditional method was used. Afterward, the quality of life of patient in terms of pain, activity, recovery time, and mental health status was evaluated. The exudate around the patient’s drainage tube was collected for bacterial culture and analysis. Results: A total of 139 patients were randomly divided into an experimental group (70 patients) and a control group (69 patients). The patients’ baseline characteristics were not significantly different. The patients in the experimental group had better outcomes in quality of life, with higher pain scores (24.03 ± 2.37 vs. 15.48 ± 2.29, p

Abstract Wearable ultrasound imaging technology has become an emerging modality for the continuous monitoring of deep-tissue physiology, providing crucial health and disease information. Fast volumetric imaging that can provide a full spatiotemporal view of intrinsic 3D targets is desirable for interpreting internal organ dynamics. However, existing 1D ultrasound transducer arrays provide 2D images, making it challenging to overcome the trade-off between the temporal resolution and volumetric coverage. In addition, the high driving voltage limits their implementation in wearable settings. With the use of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, we report an ultrasonic phased-array transducer, i.e., a 2D piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (pMUT) array, which is driven by a low voltage and is chip-compatible for fast 3D volumetric imaging. By grouping multiple pMUT cells into one single drive channel/element, we propose an innovative cell–element–array design and operation of a pMUT array that can be used to quantitatively characterize the key coupling effects between each pMUT cell, allowing 3D imaging with 5-V actuation. The pMUT array demonstrates fast volumetric imaging covering a range of 40 mm × 40 mm × 70 mm in wire phantom and vascular phantom experiments, achieving a high temporal frame rate of 11 kHz. The proposed solution offers a full volumetric view of deep-tissue disorders in a fast manner, paving the way for long-term wearable imaging technology for various organs in deep tissues.

This study proposed an improved bio-carbonation of reactive magnesia cement (RMC) method for dredged sludge stabilization using the urea pre-hydrolysis strategy. Based on unconfined compression strength (UCS), pickling-drainage, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests, the effects of pre-hydrolysis duration (T), urease activity (UA) and curing age (CA) on the mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of bio-carbonized samples were systematically investigated and analyzed. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could significantly enhance urea hydrolysis and RMC bio-carbonation to achieve efficient stabilization of dredged sludge with 80% high water content. A significant strength increment of up to about 1063.36 kPa was obtained for the bio-carbonized samples after just 7 d of curing, which was 2.64 times higher than that of the 28-day cured ordinary Portland cement-reinforced samples. Both elevated T and UA could notably increase urea utilization ratio and carbonate ion yield, but the resulting surge in supersaturation also affected the precipitation patterns of hydrated magnesia carbonates (HMCs), which weakened the cementation effect of HMCs on soil particles and further inhibited strength enhancement of bio-carbonized samples. The optimum formula was determined to be the case of T = 24 h and UA = 10 U/mL for dredged sludge stabilization. A 7-day CA was enough for bio-carbonized samples to obtain stable strength, albeit slightly affected by UA. The benefits of high efficiency and water stability presented the potential of this method in achieving dredged sludge stabilization and resource utilization. This investigation provides informative ideas and valuable insights on implementing advanced bio-geotechnical techniques to achieve efficient stabilization of soft soil, such as dredged sludge.

Abstract Sorghum is the world’s fifth-largest cereal crop, and anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineola) is the main disease affecting sorghum. However, systematic research on the cellular structure, physiological and biochemical, and genes related to anthracnose resistance and disease resistance evaluation in sorghum is lacking in the field. Upon inoculation with anthracnose (C. sublineola) spores, disease-resistant sorghum (gz93) developed a relative lesion area (RLA) that was significantly smaller than that of the disease-susceptible sorghum (gz234). The leaf thickness, length and profile area of leaf mesophyll cells, upper and lower epidermal cells decreased in the lesion area, with a greater reduction observed in gz234 than in gz93. The damage caused by C. sublineola resulted in a greater decrease in the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in gz234 than in gz93, with early-stage reduction due to stomatal limitation and late-stage reduction caused by lesions. Overall, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), the content of proline (Pro), abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and gibberellic acid (GA3), are higher in gz93 than in gz234 and may be positively correlated with disease resistance. While malondialdehyde (MDA) may be negatively correlated with disease resistance. Disease-resistant genes are significantly overexpressed in gz93, with significant expression changes in gz234, which is related to disease resistance in sorghum. Correlation analysis indicates that GA3, MDA, peroxidase (POD), and disease-resistance genes can serve as reference indicators for disease severity. The regression equation RLA = 0.029 + 8.02 × 10−6 JA–0.016 GA3 can predict and explain RLA. Principal component analysis (PCA), with the top 5 principal components for physiological and biochemical indicators and the top 2 principal components for disease-resistant genes, can explain 82.37% and 89.11% of their total variance, reducing the number of evaluation indicators. This study provides a basis for research on the mechanisms and breeding of sorghum with resistance to anthracnose.

Abstract Blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration demonstrate great promise for the diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Ultra-sensitive plasma assays now allow for quantification of the lower concentrations in cognitively unimpaired older adults, making it possible to investigate whether these markers can provide insight also into the early neurodegenerative processes that affect cognitive function and whether the markers are influenced by modifiable risk factors. Adopting an exploratory approach in 93 healthy older adults (65–75 years), we used structural equation modelling to investigate cross-sectional associations between multiple latent cognitive abilities (working memory, episodic memory, spatial and verbal reasoning) and plasma amyloid beta (Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio), phosphorylated-tau 181 (ptau-181), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light (NfL), as well as the influence of device-measured habitual physical activity on these associations. The results showed that NfL was negatively associated with working memory, and that NfL interacted with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in its association with episodic memory. The study has thereby demonstrated the potential of neurodegenerative plasma markers for improving understanding of normative cognitive aging and encourages future research to test the hypothesis that high levels of NfL, indicative of white matter pathology, limit the beneficial effect of physical activity on episodic memory in healthy aging.

Abstract Excavation of subway tunnels in hard rock generates strong vibration waves that pose potential risks to the stability of surrounding structures. In this study, the discrete element method-finite difference method (DEM-FDM) coupling was adopted to build the model of tunnel structure-rock-pile, which was validated by field monitoring data. Then, the vibration response of piles under various pile-tunnel spacings was analyzed, revealing the occurrence of vibration peak rebound phenomena within certain distance ranges. The range of vibration effects was categorized. Furthermore, in shield tunneling construction, the energy induced by vibrations was mainly concentrated within the 50 Hz range. Low-frequency vibrations result in a wider effect range. The study also demonstrated that within a 1d (tunnel diameter) range of the pile-tunnel spacing, the vibration induced by shield tunneling construction had a more significant effect. As the pile-tunnel spacing increased, the piles transitioned from being subjected to bending forces to experiencing bending-shear forces. Finally, the vibration effects on the existing piles were evaluated under field working conditions. It also provided suggestions for construction based on the effects and laws of the pile dynamic response.

Abstract Dried yellow chili is highly appreciated by consumers due to its excellent quality and flavor. The quality of products is determined by the drying and storage methods. In this study, dried yellow chilis were processed by natural air drying and hot air drying methods and then stored under three conditions: ambient temperature, ambient temperature with light avoidance, and at 10 °C with light avoidance for 12 months. The changes in the bioactive compounds during this period were analyzed attempting to reveal correlations between the different treatments and these compounds, with the aim of providing references for maintaining the bioactive compounds of pepper products. The results showed that samples treated with hot air had higher levels of fatty acids, resulting in a more pronounced flavor. During storage, samples stored at 10 °C with light avoidance were more effective in preserving soluble solids, total protein content, total phenols, capsaicinoids and most fatty acids.

Abstract Background Although an increasing number of patients with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD) are being recognized in China, clinical and genetic characteristics are not well-defined. In addition, revised diagnostic criteria for the Chinese population was proposed in 2023, we aimed to explore their utility in clinical practice at a rare lung disease center. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 100 consecutive patients with BHD diagnosed according to the revised Chinese BHD criteria, encountered at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from Jan 2017 to June 2023. Results There were 100 patients (including 63 females) from 65 unrelated families in Eastern China, mostly Anhui Province. The common manifestations were pulmonary cysts (99%), pneumothorax (60%), and skin lesions (77%). Renal cancer and renal angiomyolipoma were detected in 5 patients each. 37% of patients had no family history of BHD. In total, 25 FLCN germline mutations were detected, including 6 novel mutations. In addition to hotspot mutation c.1285delC/dupC (17%), the most common mutations were c.1015 C > T (16%), c.1579_1580insA (14%), and exons 1–3 deletion (11%) in FLCN. Higher risk of pneumothorax was associated with exons 1–3 deletion mutation and c.1177-5_1177-3de1CTC compared to the hotspot mutation c.1285dupC (91% [95% CI: 0.31, 46.82, p = 0.015] and 67% [95% CI: 0.35, 71.9, p = 0.302] vs. 30%, respectively). The average delay in diagnosis was 7.6 years after initial symptoms. Chinese diagnostic criteria were mostly consistent with typical pulmonary presentations with supportive genetic evidence. Conclusion In the Eastern Chinese region, patients with BHD present most commonly with pulmonary cysts associated with pneumothorax and skin lesions. However, low incidence of renal cancer along with unexpected renal angiomyolipoma was observed. Genotypic spectrum differed from that reported from other global regions, and genotype association of pneumothorax warrants further research. The revised Chinese criteria for BHD seem more appropriate in diagnosing BHD in Chinese patients.

Abstract Background This study aims to explore the development status of the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing Municipality, analyze the areal differences and spatial distribution characteristics of the supply level in 16 districts, and provide a scientific basis for promoting the balanced development of the supply level of professional public health resources in each district of Beijing Municipality. Methods Based on panel data from Statistical Yearbook of Health Work in Beijing Municipality and Health and Family Planning Work in Beijing Municipality from 2014 to 2022. Using the entropy method to measure the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing, employing the Dagum Gini coefficient and Kernel density estimation method to analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics and dynamic evolution process of the supply level, and using heat maps to display the spatial distribution of the supply level in various districts of Beijing. Results The Dagum Gini coefficient of the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing Municipality decreased continuously from 0.3419 in 2014 to 0.29736 in 2020, then gradually increased, showing a trend of initially decreasing and then increasing overall spatial differences. The spatial differences mainly stem from differences between areas. The kernel density curve shows that the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing Municipality gradually increased, slightly decreased after 2021, and did not form a situation of two or multi-level differentiation. Conclusion From 2014 to 2022, the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing Municipality showed an overall upward trend, but attention should be paid to the decline after 2021; spatial differences initially decreased and then increased, and the differences between areas is the main source of the overall difference in Beijing. Therefore, the Beijing Municipal Government should focus on narrowing the differences between areas, determine the allocation and management of public health resources based on the actual situation of core areas, promote coordinated development within and outside areas, and thus enhance the supply level of professional public health resources.

Abstract Background Combining immune checkpoint and proton pump inhibitors is widely used in cancer treatment. However, the drug-drug interactions of these substances are currently unknown. This study aimed to explore drug-drug interactions associated with concomitant immune checkpoint and proton pump inhibitors. Methods Data were obtained from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System from 2014 to 2023. Disproportionality analysis was used for data mining by calculating the reporting odds ratios (RORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%Cls). The adjusted RORs (RORadj) were then analysed using logistic regression analysis, considering age, sex, and reporting year. Drug-drug interactions occur when a combination treatment enhances the frequency of an event. Further confirmation of the robustness of the findings was achieved using additive and multiplicative models, which are the two statistical methodologies for signal detection of DDIs using spontaneous reporting system. Results The total number of reports on immune checkpoint combined with proton pump inhibitors was 4,276. Median patient age was 66 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 60–74 years). Significant interaction signals were observed for congenital, familial and genetic disorders (RORadj = 2.66, 95%CI, 1.38–5.14, additive models = 0.7322, multiplicative models = 3.5142), hepatobiliary disorders (RORcrude = 6.64, 95%CI, 5.82–7.58, RORadj = 7.10, 95%CI, 6.16–8.18, additive models = 2.0525, multiplicative models = 1.1622), metabolism and nutrition disorders (RORcrude = 3.27, 95%CI, 2.90–3.69, RORadj = 2.66, 95%CI, 2.30–3.08, additive models = 0.6194), and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (RORcrude = 1.41, 95%CI, 1.26–1.58, RORadj = 1.53, 95%CI, 1.34–1.75, additive models = 0.6927, multiplicative models = 5.3599). Subset data analysis showed that programmed death-1 combined with proton pump inhibitors was associated with congenital, familial, and genetic disorders; hepatobiliary disorders; and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Programmed death ligand-1 combined with proton pump inhibitors was associated with adverse reactions of metabolism and nutrition disorders. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 combined with proton pump inhibitors was associated with congenital, familial, and genetic disorders, and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Conclusions Based on real-world data, four Standardized MedDRA Query System Organ Class toxicities were identified as drug-drug interactions associated with combining immune checkpoint and proton pump inhibitors. Clinicians should be cautious when administering these drugs concomitantly. Preclinical trials and robust clinical studies are required to explore the mechanisms and relationships underlying interactions, thus improving understanding of drug-drug interactions associated with this combination therapy.

Abstract Lower limb arterial occlusive disease is treated with intraluminal devices, such as paclitaxel (PTX)-coated balloons (PCBs); however, post-procedural restenosis remains a significant challenge. NLRP3 activation is known to play a significant role in atherosclerosis, but its involvement in restenosis following PCB intervention remains to be investigated. We identified that NLRP3 was differentially expressed in lower-limb arterial tissues sourced from healthy controls and patients with arterial occlusive disease. Through cell experiments, we confirmed that PTX is involved in the activation of NLRP3. Subsequently, we demonstrated that NLRP3 activation promotes the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC), thereby reducing their sensitivity to PTX. NLRP3 activation also stimulates the secretion of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin IL-1β. RNA sequencing of IL-1β-treated VSMC revealed the upregulation of BRD4 and LIN9. Further mechanistic investigations confirmed that IL-1β facilitates BRD4 recruitment, leading to enhanced LIN9 expression. The transcription factor LIN9 binds to the promoter region of the cell-cycle regulator AURKA, thereby promoting its transcription and subsequently upregulating the expression of the cell proliferation-associated molecule FOXM1. These processes ultimately mediate the proliferation, migration, and PTX resistance of VSMC. Additionally, we discovered that JQ1 inhibited the overexpression of the above molecules, and exhibited a synergistic effect with PTX. Our conclusions were validated through in vivo experiments in Sprague-Dawley rats. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying restenosis following PCB therapy, and suggest that the combined use of JQ1 and PTX devices may represent a promising therapeutic strategy. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgos) provide bacteria and archaea with immunity against plasmids and viruses. Catalytically active pAgos utilize short oligonucleotides as guides to directly cleave foreign nucleic acids, while inactive pAgos lacking catalytic residues employ auxiliary effectors, such as nonspecific nucleases, to trigger abortive infection upon detection of foreign nucleic acids. Here, we report a unique group of catalytically active pAgo proteins that frequently associate with a phospholipase D (PLD) family protein. We demonstrate that this particular system employs the catalytic center of the associated PLD protein rather than that of pAgo to restrict plasmid DNA, while interestingly, its immunity against a single‐stranded DNA virus relies on the pAgo catalytic center and is enhanced by the PLD protein. We also find that this system selectively suppresses viral DNA propagation without inducing noticeable abortive infection outcomes. Moreover, the pAgo protein alone enhances gene editing, which is unexpectedly inhibited by the PLD protein. Our data highlight the ability of catalytically active pAgo proteins to employ auxiliary proteins to strengthen the targeted eradication of different genetic invaders and underline the trend of PLD nucleases to participate in host immunity.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological changes in scarlet fever before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2005–2023) and predict the incidence of the disease in 2024 and 2025 in Chongqing Municipality, Southwest China. Methods Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the characteristics of the scarlet fever epidemic. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was utilized to explore the distribution pattern of the disease, and the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model was constructed to predict its incidence in 2024 and 2025. Results Between 2005 and 2023, 9,593 scarlet fever cases were reported in Chongqing, which resulted in an annual average incidence of 1.6694 per 100,000 people. Children aged 3–7 were the primary victims of this disease, with the highest average incidence found among children aged 6 (5.0002 per 100,000 people). Kindergarten children were the dominant infected population, accounting for as much as 54.32% of cases, followed by students (34.09%). The incidence for the male was 1.51 times greater than that for the female. The monthly distribution of the incidence showed a bimodal pattern, with one peak occurring between April and June and another in November or December. The spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that scarlet fever cases were markedly clustered; the areas with higher incidence were mainly concentrated in Chongqing’s urban areas and its adjacent districts, and gradually spreading to remote areas after 2020. The incidence of scarlet fever increased by 106.54% and 39.33% in the post-upsurge period (2015–2019) and the dynamic zero-COVID period (2020–2022), respectively, compared to the pre-upsurge period (2005–2014) (P

In order to solve the problem of mine water surge prediction, we introduce deep learning theory, combine long short-term memory network (LSTM) and gated circulation unit (GRU), select mine water surge as the research object, and establish a mine water surge prediction model based on LSTM-GRU. Taking the mine water inflow of a mine in Shaanxi Province as sample data, the data set was divided into a training set and a test set using a 7∶3 ratio, and the gradient descent algorithm with good model training effect was selected to determine the network model parameters and regularization parameters. In order to prove the prediction accuracy of the LSTM-GRU model, the prediction results were compared with those obtained by the traditional ARIMA model and the LSTM model to predict mine water gusher, respectively. The results show that: the mean absolute percentage error (RMSE), root mean square error (MAE), mean absolute error (MAPE) and coefficient of determination (R2) of the LSTM-GRU composite model are 70.51, 53.4, 2.80% and 0.86, indicating that the model has high prediction accuracy and reliability. The prediction effect is better than the traditional ARIMA model and LSTM model.

Abstract Although the electric vehicle supplied through distributed generators (DGs) is one of the most promising methods to reduce carbon emission and has been widely studied, the accurate current sharing regarding multi‐bus DC charging stations considering uncertainties and network attacks is rarely studied. Based on this, a fully distributed current sharing control strategy is presented, which can improve the reliability of system under denial of service (DoS). Firstly, the DC charging station system (DCCSS) with uncertainties is modelled. Primary control is designed to provide stable voltage and inaccurate current sharing. Furthermore, the state‐space function considering power coupling among different DC buses is built, which lays the foundation for the design of the following control. Then, the model of DoS attacks is proposed. Based on this, the fully distributed consensus control is proposed to achieve the accurate current sharing for DCCSS under DoS. Meanwhile, a method for solving the control gain without global information is given and proved. Moreover, it can be solved by LMI toolbox. As a comparison, a common control strategy is introduced that only considers the uncertainties. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method is verified through comparison of simulation results.

Summary: The peopling history of the Yellow River basin (YR) remains largely unexplored due to the limited number of ancient genomes. Our study sheds light on the dynamic demographic history of the YR by co-analyzing previously published genomes and 31 newly generated Late Neolithic to Iron Age genomes from Shandong in the lower YR and the Central Plain in the middle YR. Our analysis reveals the population structure in Shandong and the Central Plain in the Late Neolithic Longshan cultural period. We provide a genetic parallel to the observation of a significant increase in rice farming in the middle and lower YR in the Longshan period. However, the rice-farmer-related gene flow in the Longshan period did not arrive in groups from the Yuzhuang sites in the Central Plain or previously published groups in Shandong. The Bronze Age Erlitou culture genomes validate the genetic stability in the Central Plain and the relative genetic homogeneity between the Central Plain and Shandong.

Background: Plants of the genus Orthosiphon (Lamiaceae) have been widely employed in traditional and ethnic medicines for the treatment of various diseases, including diabetes, kidney stones, edema, rheumatism, hepatitis, hypertension, and urinary tract disorders. Purpose: This review summarized the research progresses in botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities on plants of the genus Orthosiphon. Additionally, this review described the shortcomings of studies on these species, thus serving as the basis of further researches and development of these traditional herbal medicines. Method: Orthosiphon-related information was collected from the online databases, such as Google Scholar, SciFinder, Web of Science, Elsevier, PubMed and China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI). Results: Plants of the genus Orthosiphon are widely distributed in African, Australia, South Asian, and Southeast Asian, and in China. Phytochemical investigations on Orthosiphon species have revealed the presence of various compounds, mainly including phenolic acids, flavonoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and chromenes. Previous reports have demonstrated the diverse pharmacological properties of extracts and constituents derived from Orthosiphon, such as anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, analgesic, and nephroprotective effects. However, previous researches on this genus were somewhat limited and skewed towards a few species, with a particular emphasis on O. aristatus, O. wulfenioides, O. thymiflorus and O. rubicundus (D. Don) Benth, which might be attributed to the ethnopharmacological background, geographical constraints, and the distribution of these species. In the future, more investigations on other species of the genus Orthosiphon are needed. Conclusion: This study provided a comprehensive overview of the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological progresses related to the genus of Orthosiphon. Despite substantial bias in attention among various species of the genus Orthosiphon, its potential as health food and therapeutic agents is evident. The genus is an underexplored source of bioactive compounds with potential in various therapeutic areas. This review laid the groundwork for further investigation and development of these traditional herbal remedies.

We investigate the constraints of the (β-deformed) partition functions with W-representations in the literature, which can be realized by the interpolating two-matrix models (two β-ensembles). For the non-deformed partition functions, we construct their Virasoro and higher order constraints using the total derivative operators. For the β-deformed partition functions, we derive their Virasoro constraints in terms of the constructed Virasoro operators. Meanwhile, we obtain a new realization of the Virasoro algebra in terms of the Dunkl operators and the conserved quantities in the rational Calogero model.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of reducing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) by supplementing compound organic trace minerals (OTM) chelates on growth performance, fecal mineral excretion, intestinal health, and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 960 one day old male broilers were randomly assigned to 6 treatments, among which birds were fed with the basal diets (negative control, NC), or supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg (positive control, PC), 300, and 500 mg/kg ITM or OTM, respectively. Dietary supplementation of OTM significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) during 22-53 d and 1-53 d, and reduced the fecal emissions of Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the OTM300 group significantly reduced the crypt depth in the duodenum, and increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of TGF-β, Bcl-2, CAT, and GPX4 as well as tight junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1, claudin-1, and claudin-5) in jejunum mucosa were significantly increased by compound OTM when comparing with ITM300 group (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary compound OTM significantly changed the Chao1 index and β diversity index of cecal microbiota of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers. The abundances of Firmicutes (phylum), Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (family) and Oscillibacter (genus) were increased, while the abundances of Bacteroidetes (phylum) and Rikenellaceae RC9 group (genus) were decreased by OTM treatment. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the mRNA of occludin and jejunal V/C ratio were positively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes (phylum), but negatively correlated with the abundance of Bacteroidota (phylum). In addition, the abundance of Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (family) was positively correlated with the mRNA of claudin-1, Bcl-2, and TGF-β. PICRUST prediction of microbial function revealed that OTM treatment enriched the pathways related to amino acid metabolism and DNA replication. In conclusion, dietary supplementation at lower levels of compound OTM to replace ITM could improve growth performance and intestinal health, and reduce the fecal excretion of trace elements by modulation of cecal microbiota community and diversity in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers.

Summary: As social creatures, we are naturally swayed by the opinions of others, which largely shape our attitudes and preferences. However, whether social influence can directly impact our visual perceptual experience remains debated. We designed a two-phase dyadic training paradigm where participants first made a visual categorization judgment and then were informed of an alleged social partner’s choice on the same stimulus. Results demonstrated that social influence significantly modified participants’ subsequent visual categorizations, even when they had been well-trained prior to the dyadic training. This effect persisted for an extended period of up to six weeks. Diffusion model analysis revealed that this effect stemmed from perceptual processing more than mere response bias, and its strength was inversely related to the participants’ confidence and autistic-like tendencies. These findings offer compelling evidence that our perceptual experiences are deeply influenced by social factors, with individual confidence and personality traits playing significant roles.

Flap techniques are indispensable in modern surgery because of their role in repairing tissue defects and restoring function. Ischemia-reperfusion and oxidative stress-induced injuries are the main causes of flap failure. Oxidative stress exacerbates cell damage through the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby affecting flap function and survival. Effective management of these factors is essential for improving flap survival and post-operative recovery. In this study, we utilized hollow mesoporous cerium dioxide nanoparticles loaded with quercetin, which were later loaded into a light-cured double cross-linked hydrogel (HQu@BC) and injected into the flap site to activate macrophage reprogramming to maintain local ROS homeostasis and reduce inflammation. Quercetin scavenges ROS and reduces mitochondrial oxidative stress due to its intrinsic reducing structures such as catechols, carbon-carbon double bonds, and hydroxyl synergistic mesoporous cerium dioxide nanoparticles, and inhibits inflammation by suppressing M1 macrophage polarization. This system continuously regulates ROS levels, kills bacteria and ultimately reduces inflammation, thereby creating a favorable microenvironment for flap survival. This innovative injectable composite nanoparticle hydrogel material has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and healing-promoting properties, providing a new approach to improving the success of flap surgery.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the risk of 3 months adverse outcomes among young adults with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsPatients aged between 18 and 50 with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) at the Shenyang First’s People Hospital, between January 1st 2017 to May 30th 2023 were included in this retrospective study. The primary outcome was a three-month unfavorable outcome, evaluated with modified Rankin Scale (mRS > 2). Univariate logistic regression was used to select the independent factors of prognosis and multivariate logistic regression to establish a new nomogram model. We used the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) to evaluate the discriminative performance and used the calibration curve with Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test to assess the calibration performance of the risk prediction model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was applied to assess the clinical utility of the nomogram.ResultsA total of 1,015 patients were enrolled. Gender (male vs. female; Odds ratio[OR], 0.5562[95% Confidence Interval (CI), 0.3104–1.0478]; p = 0.053), family history of stroke (OR, 3.5698[95%CI 1.5632–8.0329], p